Self Publishing 360 Helps Indie Authors Get Discovered

From the About page: "Self Publishing 360 was created with a simple mission: to help authors not only publish their books, but also give them a real chance to be discovered. For many writers, the journey becomes confusing after the manuscript is finished. Publishing platforms, formatting, marketing, promotions, and building visibility can quickly feel overwhelming, especially for self published authors doing everything on their own. This platform was built to simplify that process. Self Publishing 360 brings together practical tools, clear guidance, promotional opportunities, and author focused resources designed to make self publishing more accessible and less intimidating. The mission is to support authors beyond publishing by helping them grow, promote their work, reach readers, and build confidence in their writing journey."

I've promoted The Acorn Stories there for free and encourage other readers and writers to join.

Find books by trope, genre, & more at the Indie Book Directory

“Indie Stuffed is a 2-day Stuff Your E-Reader style event. On June 20th & 21st, 2026 we will be hosting the free event.” Details.

Indie Book Directory is “A fully searchable directory for indie-published books. Authors can access free resources and add books. Readers can search by Title, Author, Genre, and Trope. We also have directories for Author Services and Indie Bookstores.”

Please add your books and search for my books!

Remember to get your Degranon Free SciFi Download.

Find or Promote Books with thebooklist.co

I just listed my book on thebooklist.co, a community-owned platform built for indie authors. You can list any book with a cover, description, and a direct purchase link to Amazon, your own website, or anywhere else you sell. No fees, no commissions, just a great way to get your book in front of new readers. If you're an author, give it a try.

Read about The Acorn Stories at thebooklist.co. “With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.” —Lone Star Literary Life. “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews.

The Acorn Stories in The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine

✨ I’m featured in the March issue of The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine! This month’s theme is HOPE. Read it here: https://lonestar-lit.com/march-2026/ @LoneStarLit

#TexasAuthors #AuthorLife #BookCommunity #LoneStarLiteraryLife

From their review of The Acorn Stories:

“People weave into and out of each other’s stories, connected in ways you might not expect.”

“At its core, this book is about emotions.”

“With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.”

“Simolke’s writing… is conversational, gentle, like people would genuinely think or speak.”

“The dialogue and the descriptions carry you along just quickly enough, like a moving sidewalk passing by Acorn’s residents, giving you time to take a peek into their lives.”

“You may find that you feel you’re waving goodbye to friends and neighbors when you turn the final page.”

Find Books that Match Your Reading at The Book Rex

Find new books with the searchable tools at The Book Rex. As the site says, “Here, every single book is tagged across the things readers care about: genres, subgenres, tropes, historical settings, time periods, romantic pairings, spice levels, diversity representation, and content warnings.” Readers can also sign up for email alerts of books that fit their preferences. Writers, including indie writers, can submit listings of their books. Please read The Book Rex listing for The Acorn Stories.

Featured Website: Liminal Fiction

As the welcoming page at Liminal Fiction states, “We’re an inclusive library of spec fic titles (fantasy, sci fi, paranormal and horror). Use the book search, our filter search, or the menu links.” Readers can find speculative fiction by genre, tropes, keywords, etc. They can also find sales, book reviews, and much more.

Please read my biography at Liminal Fiction and explore this multi-made presentation of Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures.

Gay Book Review: The Emp Test

The Emp Test by J. Scott Coatsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

J. Scott Coatsworth’s fantasy story The Emp Test involves two men from different cultures, thrown together and obviously attracted to each other. Jey must let Avain care for him, though their people see each other as enemies.

Coatsworth works a great deal of mythology into the story in a natural way that both connects the two men and divides them. Jey also faces conflict within himself, but I won’t give any of that away.

Readers who want a gay story without tired settings or predictable tropes should enjoy this emotional, fast-moving, and empowering fantasy.

I had been following Coatsworth for years via social media and the book sites he runs with his husband but had honestly never gotten around to reading one of his books. The Emp Test provided a brief but enjoyable introduction that made me want to read more.



View all my Goodreads reviews.

Learn about the author via J. Scott Coatsworth’s Press Kit.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Science Fiction: TV in an Alternate Reality

On the season premiere of Lalololalo’s Celebrity Show, meet Admiral Nil, Top Maintainer, and learn about how she protects us from alien invasions, criminals, heavy hazard thoughts, and ourselves. All of Valchondria will be tuning it, so click the link below for the interview.

Meet the Antagonist Nil at The Protagonist Speaks.

The Protagonist Speaks features character interviews from a variety of writers and includes details on how other authors can participate, as a type of book promotion and content creation. Author Assaph Mehr of egretia.com created and manages that site.

Admiral Nil becomes a nemesis of the heroic Taldra in Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure.

"

Book Review at Novels Alive

Amy at the book blog Novels Alive book blog just posted a review of The Acorn Stories, saying “The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.”

"In Acorn, Texas, every hidden story wrestles with humor and heart."

In Acorn, Texas, every hidden story wrestles with humour and heart.https://t.co/8K70gN75Oi@DuaneSimolke #booktwitter #bookstoread #booktwt #bookreader #booksbooksbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booklove #kindlebooks #kindle pic.twitter.com/9QrPKNgSR2

— PromoCorner - Find your next Book. (@PromoCornerX) April 7, 2025

JP MacDougall's Indie Author Features

JP MacDougall, author of The Pangean Chronicles, has made the following announcement about free book promotion on his website. Authors looking for more exposure should visit now.

Promoting books online can feel like shouting into the void. That’s why I’m offering FREE promotion on my website, https://t.co/5epWtkHCrr, to help you reach more readers. 📚✨
📩 Send your book details, links, and images to authorjpmacdougall@outlook.com, and I’ll showcase your… pic.twitter.com/UouD1QmEpN

— JP Macdougall (@PangeanChrons) March 25, 2025

About The Pangean Chronicles

Millions of years ago in the time of Pangea, when the continents were still as one, there existed the demon world. A race known as the Sanctorians reigned over a peaceful existence until the mysterious and unsettling birth of a dark demon cast a long shadow over this peace. Following the rise of this dark lord, who became known as Satanicus, a terrible war ensued, with Sanctorians leading a resistance against this new tyranny. By the end of the catastrophic war, with Satanicus incarcerated within 'The Book', the super-continent of Pangea was shattered into its separate continents and human existence, as we know it now, came to be.

Now the human race faces a threat greater than ever before. Lord Masshawus has spent millions of years in the shadows, raising an army and now plots to unify Pangea. It is down to Michael Shaw and his allies to stop the unification of Pangea and to recover 'The Book'. The future of civilisation is in the balance and there are very few who can be trusted.

For Poetry Lovers!

My eBook Selected Poems is part of the Indie Poetry Sale hosted by Author, Poet & Graphic Designer Despoina Kemeridou. Despoina wrote Pieces of my Heart, Of Darkness and Light, and Whispers of the Soul. Though many of the discounts there are temporary, please keep visiting Despoina’s site for more indie writing and resources.

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven presents Duane Simolke #authorspotlight

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven presents Duane Simolke #authorspotlight #sciencefiction #shortstories #fiction #mustread Read this author spotlight at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven about my fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. It covers a lot of my writing journey. #BookThreads

Readers' Favorite: Short Story Collection

“Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town.” —Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite. Read the review on Bookstagram/Instagram.

Taldra Part of Bookish Event

Taldra: Science Fiction Adventures is part of a Kobo Plus Bookish Event at N. N. Light's Book Heaven. Some of my other books are also available through Kobo Plus.

A First Nation family will gather allies to protect the Earth of an alternate reality in these scifi adventures for Star Trek fans.

A New Interview at Tweetables.Com

Jane at Tweetables.Com reviewed my Texas fiction collection The Acorn Stories and interviewed me about my writing. In a follow-up interview for the 2nd anniversary of Tweetables, I talk about my scifi novels and the importance of book blogs. https://www.tweetables.com/2024/03/revisiting-duane-simolke.html

A New Way to Read Some of My Books.

Kobo Plus users can now read Taldra and some of my other eBooks at no extra charge.

The Picky Bookworm: Sons of Talda

Read about Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure at the bookblog The Picky Bookworm.

From the bookblogger: "Hello, new friend! Welcome to The Picky Bookworm! I am so glad you’re here! If you’ve been looking for a place to hang out, be encouraged, and find support for your writing journey, you are in the right place! My name is Pamela, and I am a huge supporter of indie and self-published books and authors. One of my favorite things about the book community is how supportive we all are of each other. When I found this community, I knew I’d found my place."

"Here on The Picky Bookworm you’ll find tons of tips, prompts and discussions to help you find your place. I also love posting book reviews, so you’ll find a ton of those to help you find your next favorite read."

"A more real and honest book about the struggles we all face."

From a new 5-star book review of The Acorn Stories at Goodreads:

“I get life isn’t perfect and we all have problems but man. I thought this was going to be a feel good book. But maybe that is why I liked it. Because it was a more real and honest book about the struggles we all face.”

Read the full review at Goodreads.

Author Shay Mills Reviews SciFi Adventure Sons of Taldra at Substack

“Truly unique and amazing!” —Shay Mills, author of The Secret Life Series. Read the review here.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Released! "Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure" by @DuaneSimolke

It wasn’t just good — it was truly unique & amazing!

Substack: https://t.co/n9CmQMFpRr
Medium: https://t.co/n86zBeGCOn
GoodReads: https://t.co/pBss1BKZlK#Writingcommunity #LGBTQIA pic.twitter.com/7fukwCRnRd

— Eric Rench - Shay Mills Fiction Author (@IDOBOOKREVIEWS) May 16, 2023

From the Substack bio of Eric - Author Shay Mills: "After a successful career in the military, I took to telling my tales. I am known for being an eclectic author who writes Horror, Thriller, Crime-Drama, Paranormal, Suspense, and Literary Coming of Age Tales."